Civil Love
by Loveandcoffeeandsimplicities
Summary: The ever-lasting love between a girl and guy fated to lead very different lives. Bughead.
1. Chapter 1

"Not a fucking word, boy. Got it?" FP's voice was harsher than normal but then again, this wasn't a normal night. Tonight was the night they stole from the Coopers. The family that taunted the residents of the Southside the most. Jughead nodded, slipping the ski mask on over his face before he and his father, along with Toni, Pea, and Fangs, ducked down low and ran the length of the house on Elm Street. When they reached the front porch, Jughead looked at his dad, who placed a finger to his lips, and Jughead quieted his breathing so he could hear the voices drifting through the house

"Honestly, Elizabeth. It's a disgrace to even _think _this article is publish worthy," a feminine voice spat, and Jughead peeked into the window next to the garage only to spot a young girl, probably his age, staring down, fists curled tightly.

"I'll do better," the girl said quietly.

"Too right you will. I will not have you shaming this family, Elizabeth," the older woman growled before rising her hand and sending a blow to the girl's face, causing both her and Jughead to gasp. Toni elbowed him to be quiet as the dragon lady whipped her head around, staring out through the open window.

"What was that?" The woman demanded.

"I don't know, mom," Elizabeth replied, and Jughead's suspicions had been confirmed: the cold bitch was her mother. He looked at his dad, who nodded. On his count, Jughead slammed his foot into their door and burst in, the rest of the Serpents right behind him. He watched as the woman grabbed her daughter and used her as a shield.

"Whatever you want, you can have. Just don't hurt me," she whimpered, and Jughead took note of how she completely disregarded her daughter's safety. It was pathetic. But, it meant their job was a little easier.

Watching as Toni and the rest of his friends pulled out their guns, Jughead addressed the woman through his mask.

"We're here for your daughter," he said, willing the woman to put up a fight. He was disappointed moments later as she shoved her towards him.

"Here, take her!" She cried, and Jughead was disgusted with her.

"Mom!" Elizabeth cried, struggling against his hold.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Jughead murmured, feeling her trembling form and hating himself because of it. When he had run the gauntlet and joined the Serpents, he hadn't expected to be doing any kidnappings. Yet, here he was, holding a petite young girl to his chest tightly. Soon he heard her erratic breathing.

"Shit, are you having a panic attack, blondie?" Toni asked, but Jughead waved her off.

He looked at his dad, who nodded, and turned his gun onto who he finally understood to be Alice Cooper. A shot ripped through the air and she crumpled to the floor, holding her leg.

"A parting gift," FP said quietly, then, to the group, "we've got to leave. Now."

Elizabeth was still breathing erratically as Jughead swung her up into his arms and darted through the front door and down the street to where their getaway van was. He spotted Tall Boy in the driver's seat and chose to ignore the way he was smirking. The man had been nothing but a pain in his ass since initiation night. FP opened the door, climbed in and held his arms open, allowing Jughead to pass off Betty.

"Please, please, please," she whispered. "Please. Oh, please don't do this."

Jughead felt his heart clench at her frightened pleas as he pulled out a blindfold. Fingers fumbling, and hating himself ten times more, he tied the cloth around her eyes.

"Shh," he murmured gently when she sniffled. "You're going to be okay. I promise, no one will hurt you."

He quickly pulled off his mask and squeezed her wrist gently.

"Just focus on my breathing, alright?" Jughead asked softly. He began breathing deeply and slowly, encouraging her to follow his lead. It took a few tries but eventually, she was able to get her breathing under control and Jughead sighed in relief.

"Good job," he praised, knowing the poor girl must be terrified to the bone.

XXX

By the time Tall Boy pulled up to the Wyrm, Elizabeth had fallen silent. Minus the occasional sniffle, Jughead thought she must have gone into shock. He jumped out of the van after helping her stand, and gently eased her off the back ledge. She stumbled into him and he helped hold her steady as she got her footing.

"Ah," she gasped.

"What now?" Tall Boy demanded.

"Do us all a favor and shut the fuck up, man," Jughead growled, before turning to look at Elizabeth.

"What is it?" Jughead asked softly.

"S-Since I c-couldn't see where I was putting my feet, I-I think I twisted it in a hole or something," she admitted in a small voice.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Jughead said contritely. He lifted her up into his arms.

"I'll take the blindfold off once we're inside," he assured her. He then made his way to the bar.

XXX

True to his word, once all the Serpents had dispersed, Jughead carried Elizabeth up to his flat, where she was to be held. He hated thinking of it in that way.

"Almost there, Elizabeth," he said.

"What's your name?" Elizabeth asked timidly.

"Jughead," he replied. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly when he saw her lips twitch. At least her mind was off fear and pain. "Go ahead and laugh. The real thing is worse."

"Betty," she replied.

"What?"

"If I am correct in thinking I'm your hostage, I refuse to be called anything other than my true name. That's Betty," she explained.

"Deal."

He pushed open his door and went and sat her down on his bed, gently tugging the blindfold off as he did so. She blinked against the harsh lights and he immediately lowered the lights til they were a dull, muted glow. He turned to her ankle, assessing it.

"I think you're right about the twist. This looks swollen," he admitted. "Hang on and let me get my first aid kit from my bathroom."

Once he retrieved it, he walked back to her and crouched down below her, resting her ankle against his thigh. He frowned in sympathy when she winced.

"Sorry," he whispered, before wrapping it. Once he was through, he placed her leg back on his bed.

"Why am I here?" Betty asked softly. "If you wanted to hurt me, you would have done so already."

"We don't want to hurt you, Betty, I swear my life on it. We just need to appeal to the Northside and you're our best option," he explained.

She laughed bitterly. "Fantastic. A hostage on both sides."

His heart ached and he couldn't quite explain why.

"I'm sorry," he said remorsefully. When she didn't say anything, he left her alone, retiring to his living room and wondered what the next step was.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take long for Jughead to hear the soft cries emanating from his room. Turning his head towards the general vicinity, he frowned before standing up from the couch and making his way to his closed bedroom door. Hesitantly, he knocked.

"Betty?" Jughead asked softly.

"Please go away," came the quiet reply, and he sighed, before starting to push the door open slowly, giving her plenty of time to tell him to leave if she was in the middle of changing or something. She wasn't. He took in her huddled form on the bed, noting the way her shoulders were shaking.

"Oh, Betty," he murmured, making his way towards her and crouching down in front of her.

"I want to go home," she whispered, and his heart clenched. He, not for the first time, wished there was another way to bring down the formidable Coopers and he hated himself because there wasn't. Although, it didn't seem like Alice Cooper cared all that much about the wellbeing of her daughter. Surely, _surely_, Hal Cooper, Betty's father, would care.

Jughead raised his hand hesitantly and watched as Betty flinched, curling in on herself. Right. Her mother had struck her across the face right before they took her. He let his hand fall back to his side.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Betty. You don't have to be afraid of me," he promised lowly, heart aching for the second time. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, damp cheek pressed against her left knee.

"Easier said than done," she muttered, biting her lip as her brow furrowed. It was then that Jughead noticed her hands were once more clenched in fists, knuckles deathly white. He stared at them for a moment, frowning, before looking at her.

"Can you uncurl your fists for me?" Jughead asked softly, watching as she exhaled shakily. He waited patiently for her to comply. She did so eventually, slowly, (and, with tremors wracking through her). Once her palms were laying flat against her knees, facing upwards, Jughead saw the angry half-crescent moons littering her skin. There was blood as fresh as he could imagine and scars that would forever be embedded into her skin.

"Self-harm?" Jughead asked quietly and watched as she blinked back unshed tears.

"Coping mechanism," she mumbled.

He nodded. "Can I doctor these for you?"

She shrugged but didn't reply so he took that as a yes. Standing up from where he had still been crouched down on the floor below her, he went and retrieved his first aid kit once more before making his way back to her. He looked at the ground for a moment, deliberating on what to do, before going to get his desk chair and rolling it towards her. After sitting down in it, he began rummaging through the kit that he had placed on his bed, grabbing an antiseptic wipe.

"This might burn a little," he murmured, frowning remorsefully. She shrugged, like it didn't phase her. Right, he thought to himself. Her mother likes to hit her and she purposefully causes harm to her own self. A little burning sensation should be nothing new.

She didn't say anything as he took her palm in his hand and began wiping at the fresh indentations gently. He marveled at her steely resolve to not flinch as he swiped meticulously over each cut in her palms. Once he had finished cleaning them out, Jughead pulled out an antibiotic ointment that he dabbed onto each little moon before capping the bottle again.

"There we go," he smiled. She didn't match it but her eyes didn't look quite as desperate so he took it for what it was worth. Just as he got ready to ask her if she needed anything for the pain she was most likely feeling with her damaged ankle, there was a knock on his door. Pea let himself in, announcing his presence as he made his way into the living room. Jughead watched as Betty closed her eyes tightly, trying to make herself as possible it seemed. Squeezing her gently on the forearm, Jughead made his way into his living room where his friend, and fellow Serpent, was waiting.

"What is It, Pea?" Jughead asked.

"Boss wants to see our newest addition," came the reply.

"Why?" Jughead asked warily.

Pea shrugged. "He just said it was imperative to see her and for me to remind you that you know the rules."

Jughead knew the rules alright. He would have to blindfold Betty again so she didn't see what the Wyrm looked like. Sighing, he nodded his head.

"Alright, give me ten," he muttered. Pea hummed before exiting his flat.

Staring at the door he just left through, Jughead sighed in frustration at the situation before collecting himself and making his way back into his room.

"We have to go see the boss now, don't we?" Betty asked dully, and he made his way to her, crouching once more in front of her.

"Yes," he admitted. "But, it'll be alright. The boss's name is FP and he's my dad. He's not as intimidating as he likes for people to believe."

Betty's eyes traced his face, before biting her lip and nodding.

"Alright," she whispered after releasing her lip from it's prison.

"Think you can walk on your foot?" Jughead inquired, and she nodded again, but opted to remain silent.

He nodded in return, then pulled out the blindfold he had retired to his pocket. Her eyes widened fractionally.

"Is that necessary?" Betty asked quietly, and Jughead sighed.

"Unfortunately so. I'm so sorry," he muttered, the self-hatred returning in full force at the petrified look on her face.

"Okay," she said in a painfully small voice. Bending down, he tied the blindfold around her eyes, making sure it was loose enough.

"How's that?' Jughead asked softly. "Not too tight is it?"

"It's fine," she mumbled, hands clasped primly in front of her.

Hating himself, he helped ease her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist to support her as she gingerly put weight on her foot. Then they were on their way to meet what awaited them.


	3. Chapter 3

Jughead guided Betty through the Wyrm, acutely aware of her trembling form. He had one arm wrapped around her waist and was letting her lean heavily into him to keep the majority of her weight off her injured foot. He noticed out his peripheral that her fist was clenched and his heart ached for reasons unbeknownst to him. As he got closer to their destination, he was cut off by a middle aged man who stepped in front of them. Gritting his teeth, Jughead stared at Roger.

"Who do we have here?" Roger asked lowly, appraising Betty like a piece of meat. Jughead had the sudden desire to punch the stupid smirk off Roger's face and had to take a steadying breath to remind himself of who were his elders in the gang.

"This is Betty," Jughead said quietly, stomach clenching uncomfortably as Roger cupped her cheek. He watched as Betty tensed and Roger sneered.

"She's delectable," he groaned, and Jughead found himself seething. FP had always raised him to respect women. He gently squeezed Betty's hip, an action to remind her that she was safe. And, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Roger.

"Claiming your territory, Jones?" Roger queried, and Jughead's jaw flared.

Biting back his scathing remark, Jughead inhaled deeply to control his anger. "FP wants to see her so if you'll be so nice as to get out of our way…"

It was as if he had said the magic words; Roger automatically bowed his head a little and stepped to the side, knowing better than to hold them up when FP was expecting them – no one questioned their leader's authority.

Jughead gently led Betty around Roger, hand placed at the small of her back.

"You're alright; you're safe," he murmured, but she just stayed quiet. He sighed, not sure who he hated more at the moment: Roger or himself.

Eventually, they reached FP's office and Jughead knocked on the door, entering only when his father instructed him to.

"Hey, Jug," FP said, looking up from the paperwork he was bent over. Jughead appraised his dad, taking in the fact that he looked exhausted. Kidnapping a young woman would do that to a person.

"Hey," Jughead replied. FP's eyes traveled to Betty, frowning slightly at how tense she was.

"You can remove the blindfold, Jug," FP said, and Jughead nodded, feeling relief settle in around his bones.

"Don't be afraid, please," he implored lowly as he gently undid the blindfold for a second time. Betty blinked, looking around the office before her eyes landed on FP. She stared at him uncertainly, waiting, it seemed like, for him to say something.

"Elizabeth," FP began.

"Betty," Jughead interrupted. "She goes by Betty."

FP looked at Betty. "Is it alright if I call you Betty, then?"

Betty bit her lip, looking at Jughead, who nodded encouragingly.

"It's alright," she whispered after another moment's hesitation.

FP nodded, eyes kind. "Well, Betty, I'm terribly sorry about what's happened."

Jughead could hear the burning sincerity in his father's voice and knew he meant every word.

"Thank you," Betty murmured, eyes downcast. Jughead fought the sudden impulse he felt to hold her hand. Not out of a romantic gesture of any kind but for a way to allow her to tether herself to some idea of safety. Although, he wasn't sure if she truly believed him when he said she was safe. He wasn't sure he would believe it if he had been the one who was kidnapped.

"What do you know about the Serpents, Betty?" FP asked. Betty looked at Jughead, clearly unsure if she should speak or not. He squeezed her shoulder, hoping to provide a source of comfort.

"It's alright," he assured her kindly.

Licking her lips nervously, Betty waited a beat before slowly starting to speak.

"I don't know much," she began cautiously. "Only…"

"Only what Alice and Hal Cooper have filled your head with? The nonsense they spew in that rag of a paper they write for?" FP asked calmly.

Betty bit her lip, clasping her hands in front of her nervously.

"I'm sure Jug has already told you this but I'll reiterate it anyways: we're not looking to hurt you, Betty. Not in the slightest," FP said softly.

"Then, why kidnap me?" Betty asked quietly but firmly.

FP sighed. "We need leverage against the Northside."

Betty laughed bitterly. "And, what? You think I'll be able to help you? News flash: no one cares when the shy, bookworm goes missing."

That can't be true, Jughead thought to himself. Surely, someone must care for her.

"What about your dad?" Jughead asked quietly.

"What?" Betty asked.

"Hal Cooper would surely have an issue with you being taken," Jughead said.

Betty sighed. "Even if that were the case, even if he did care, my mother's word is final. You saw how easily she handed me over tonight. Trust me, the only thing she'll lose sleep on is if she actually has to meet demands about what you've done."

Jughead ran a hand through his unruly hair, looking at his dad. He watched the way his old man studied Betty, an almost sad look in his eyes.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Betty," he said eventually, but Betty just shrugged, wrapping her arms around her slim frame and didn't say anything,

FP cocked his head to the side, eyeing her, before a knock on the door interrupted their meeting.

"Come in," FP called, and Jughead watched as Tallboy walked in, taking in the scene before him. When his eyes landed on Betty, he smirked. Jughead grit his teeth.

"How you feeling, princess?" Tallboy sneered.

"That's not my name," Betty muttered, fists clenched.

"What was that?" Tallboy challenged.

"I said, that's not my fucking name," Betty repeated firmly, snapping her eyes to meet his in a fierce glare.

"Well, would you look at that, boss?" Tallboy smirked at FP. "Blondie is a little spitfire."

Jughead glared at him. "What do you want Tallboy?"

"I wasn't talking to you, now was I, boy?" Tallboy sneered, and Jughead resisted the urge to punch the idiot in the face once more.

"What is it, Tallboy?" FP asked, keeping Jughead in check with one look.

"Peabody is here. Wants a word with you," Tallboy said, and Jughead was sure his face mirrored the same surprise on his father's. They both schooled their expressions and FP nodded.

"I'll go meet her. Jug, take Betty back up to your flat. She's under your care," FP said, before going to squeeze her gently on the shoulder. "It's going to be fine, Betty. I promise you, no one will hurt you."

Jughead saw Tallboy shift slightly out of the corner of his eye and realized then that he'd be a problem. Fucking great.


	4. Chapter 4

A couple of days passed and Jughead was no closer to getting Betty to open up to him than he was the night they took her. Not that he could honestly say he was surprised or blamed her – not in the slightest. They fucking kidnapped her and he what? Expected them to be the best of friends? There was little to no chance of that happening and it was better if he just accepted that now and did his job.

"Don't get attached," FP had warned him. "We're doing a job, not looking to expand the Serpents."

Jughead had bit back his retort at that but when he was on his own, his mind had no problem thinking about all the words he didn't say out loud. What was the point of the job if they were terrifying the girl? FP had always lived by one rule, a rule which Jughead had adopted as well, and that was: do no harm to women or those younger than them. So, why did Jughead catch Tallboy looking at Betty as if she were a piece of meat time and time again?

Pushing his fingers through his unruly hair, he changed into a pair of sweatpants and, after some deliberation, added a shirt as well. He then made his way from his bathroom where he had been showering and to his room, where he knew Betty was sitting. Sure enough, when he reached his bedroom, he spotted Betty sitting on his bed.

"Hey," he said softly, leaning against the doorjamb. She looked up at him.

"Hi," she replied quietly, fingers fiddling with one another. That was something he had noticed over her days with them: she had started playing with her fingers when anxious and, while slightly disconcerting to know she was anxious all the time, it was also a relief to know she was fighting the urge to sink her nails into her palms; fighting the urge to hurt herself.

"Is there anything you'd like? Anything I can get you?" Jughead inquired, watching her carefully. She shook her head and he sighed. The girl needed to eat something.

"Do you like Pops?" Jughead wondered, and she nodded, albeit reluctantly.

He grinned softly. "What if I had a Sweet Pea go get a couple of burgers and fries?"

Betty sat there, with her hands clasped primly in front of her as she thought about it. Eventually she looked at him.

"Make it onion rings and you have yourself a deal," she replied, voice a little stronger than it had been previously. Jughead sighed in relief, shooting off a quick text to Sweet Pea.

"Great. Is there anything else you want?" Jughead asked, watching the way Betty looked at him. It was as if she was trying to figure him out and it left him feeling unsettled to know that she feared him. Possibly. She nodded.

"May I take a shower? It's been a couple of days since my last one and, while I would like to not have to fear taking a shower, the -," she began, but Jughead interrupted her.

"The desire to have one is winning over the desire to be afraid?" Jughead asked and smiled in victory when she nodded. It was a small win in Jughead's book and he'd take that any day.

"Yes," she admitted, and he chuckled slightly.

He nodded his head towards the bathroom. "C'mon, I'll show you where everything is."

"I don't have anything to sleep in," she muttered, biting her lip.

"That's alright. You can borrow some clothes from Toni. You two look to be the same size," he replied, and she exhaled.

"Thanks," she murmured. After getting her set up with everything she needed, he left her to shower, making a mental note to invest in some female products to make her feel more comfortable. He stepped out onto his balcony and lit a cigarette, texting Toni to ask if she could bring him about a week's worth of clothes. They could always do laundry. She showed up minutes later.

"What's with needing my clothes, Jones?" Toni asked, quirking an eyebrow.

He flicked his cigarette in order to ash it. "Betty needs some clothes."

"Ah, yes. Our very own hostage situation. Where is she?" Toni inquired.

Ignoring the clenching in his gut at the mention of the word hostage, Jughead tilted his head towards the bathroom.

"In the shower," he replied.

"One of the many reasons you shouldn't leave your door unlocked while you're outside," she commented.

"It wasn't locked?" Jughead demanded.

"How do you think I got in? Picking the lock?" Toni snorted.

He rubbed a hand over his face. "Fuck. Alright, thanks Toni. You better be on your way; I don't want her to feel more scared than she already does."

Toni stared at him for a long moment. "Remember what FP said: don't get attached."

Jughead didn't deem that worthy of a reply and just took another drag of his cigarette before putting out. Then he led Toni through his apartment. "Say goodnight, Toni."

"Goodnight, Toni," she replied, lips twitching.

"You're such a little shit, you know that?" Jughead huffed through a laugh, before directing her out of his apartment. After checking the locks, he heard his shower stop and went and knocked on the door.

"Betty?" Jughead called through. "I've got some clothes for you from Toni."

The door cracked open and her arm reached out, accepting them with a word of thanks. Even their hostage and she was still nice. Jughead didn't understand it. Eventually, she came out of the shower and he had to swallow passed the tightness in his throat at the sight of her. She truly was beautiful. Don't get attached, Jones.

"The dinner should be here soon," was what he said in lieu of standing there and looking like a fucking idiot. Betty nodded.

"Thanks," she replied quietly. She barely walked with a limp anymore so Jughead knew her ankle was just about completely mended. He nodded.

"You're welcome, Betty," he said. He knew they still had a lot to learn about each other; had a lot to figure out, but he was hoping she would feel more comfortable with each passing day. He had meant it when he vowed no one would hurt her. His gang didn't work that way and if anyone contradicted FP's authority, they'd have Jughead to answer to.

**Author's note: **Just a filler chapter today. I'm going out of town this afternoon and won't be back until Sunday. Won't know if I'll have time to write. Thanks for all the love this story has received so far. I'll eventually stop starting random stories without finishing some of my others lol. (Doubtful but what you gonna do?) Xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Once the food was delivered, Jughead went and knocked on the bedroom door.

"Betty? The food is here," he called through. She cracked the door open a moment later.

"Okay, I'll be right out," she replied quietly, eyes downcast. It hurt Jughead in ways he couldn't quite understand to know she was still afraid. But, he reasoned with himself, she was their hostage at the end of the day, no matter how nice he and FP treated her. Just then, the door opened and Betty came out of the bedroom in Toni's clothes. Taking note of the fact that they were baggy on her, Jughead frowned.

"I can get something that fits you," he said softly, but she shook her head.

"These are alright," she murmured, hands clasped primly in front of her.

Jughead had come to learn that was a position she placed herself in whenever she was waiting to see what would happen next. Sighing, he tilted his head towards the kitchen counter.

"C'mon, you've got to be starving," he said, and gently led her to one of the barstools. After she sat down, he went and grabbed the bag of food he had left on the kitchen counter and sat down next to her. He handed her a burger, along with her order of onion rings and smiled.

"Here you go," he said.

"Thank you," she replied quietly before taking a small bite of her burger and chewing slowly as she looked around. "You've got a nice apartment."

He wasn't expecting her to make any type of small talk with him but he'd gladly take it. "Thank you. I've lived here for about a year."

Betty nodded as she took another small bite of her burger and chewed the food slowly. She repeated this action until about one fourth of the burger was gone and didn't even touch the onion rings before looking at Jughead.

"Thanks for dinner. Want the rest of mine?" Betty asked. Jughead looked at her, then her plate, then back at her.

"But...you didn't even make a dent in it," he commented, puzzled.

Betty shrugged. "I'm full."

Well, that can't be true. "Are you sure you don't want some onion rings?"

Betty shook her head. "I'm good, thank you."

Jughead studied her for a long moment. "What else has your mother done or said to you, Betty?"

He knew he hit the nail on the mark by the way her fists clenched. Worried that she'd reopen old wounds, he hastened to continue. "I'm not going to judge anything you have to say."

Those seemed to be the magic words. Exhaling through her nose slowly, she unfurled her fingers and laid her palms flat on the table. "She doesn't say anything. Now, I'm pretty tired. Is it alright if I go to bed?"

Jughead was taken aback. Not once, in the entire week she had been with them, did she ever ask to go to bed. She simply just went to sleep whenever she was ready. "Of course. You don't have to ask."

She nodded and made her way to the bedroom, with a quiet thank you over her shoulder. Staring at the door she had just shut, Jughead wondered what he had said to flip a switch in her. Thinking about the question he asked in regard to her mother, he was fairly certain he already knew.

XXXX

"Jug." FP's voice sounded outside of his apartment door and, after checking on Betty, he made his way to it and opened it.

"What's up, dad?" Jughead asked, looking at his father curiously.

"We need to have a meeting. Inner Serpents only. Meet me in the conference room in five and don't forget to lock your door," he said. At the look on his son's face, FP continued. "It's for her safety as much as it is to make sure she doesn't try to run away."

Sighing, Jughead nodded once and went back into his apartment. He peeked his head into his room and noticed Betty curled up into a ball, facing forward. Toni's shirt had ridden up a little bit in her sleep and he was able to notice how prominent her ribcage was. Swallowing down the guilt he always seemed to be having, he shut his door softly, before grabbing his jacket out of his coat closet. Then, he made his way out of his apartment, stopping to lock the door before heading down to the conference room.

Once there, he spotted Pea and Toni already waiting, along with Fangs. It seemed like it was just his dad and Tallboy they were waiting on. It wasn't too much longer before the two men walked into the room.

"Where's the princess?" Tallboy smirked, and Jughead was suddenly very grateful for his father having the insight to lock his apartment door.

"She's safe," he said coolly, leveling the older man with a glare. Tallboy just grinned, displaying a row of yellow teeth. Jughead turned his attention back on his father when he started talking.

"The reason I called for an inner Serpent meeting is to discuss tactics in regard to the Northside," FP said.

"It's been a week and no one has come banging down our door for the girl," Toni said.

"Betty," Jughead said quietly. "She has a name, Toni."

Before Toni could reply, his dad carried on.

"Moving along," he said, "we need to look at this from a different angle."

Jughead looked at him. "How?"

"We need to see just how much Hal Cooper wants his daughter back," FP stated, and Jughead snorted.

"You were there when Betty said her dad wouldn't go against her mother," he reminded him.

"Look, I've known Alice Cooper for years. By default, I know Hal, too. Alice may think she has him wrapped around her finger tightly, but she doesn't. Not completely. What we need to do is set up a meeting with him on his own," his father replied.

Jughead nodded, thinking things through. "Alright. We'll set up a meeting with him but I don't want Betty there."

"Absolutely," FP agreed. They conversed a bit longer before they went their own ways, Jughead's mind buzzing with the new plan.


	6. Chapter 6

Jughead went back to his apartment, shutting the door behind him softly. He took a moment to compose himself after realizing Tall Boy would definitely prove himself to be a problem before going to check in on Betty. Once he pushed her door open softly, a small frown tugged at his lips. She was trembling, soft cries emanating from he and his heart clenched. What was causing her nightmares? He made his way into the room as quickly and quietly as possible, sitting down on the bed. He raised his hand, hesitated a moment, before gently pushing her hair off her sweaty forehead.

"Hey, Betty, wake up," he said softly, knowing not to shake her awake. He watched as her eyebrows scrunched and continued talking to her in a soft tone until she woke up with a gasp. He immediately gave her room to breathe but didn't get off the bed.

"What happened?" Betty asked, looking wildly around the room. "W-Where is she?"

"Where's who, hon?" Jughead asked gently.

"M-My mom," she gasped, still staring around wildly. It was then that Jughead noticed her fists furled and winced.

"Betty, hon, she's not here; you're safe," he murmured, rolling his eyes internally at the fact that it was her abductor who was telling her she was safe. "Can I see your palms, please?"

Betty took in one last shuddering breath before looking down at her palms.

"Oh," she said in a small voice, and it tugged at Jughead's heartstrings.

"I promise, it's okay. I just need to see if we need to doctor them," he assured her softly.

She nodded her head mutely and he gently uncurled her fingers from her palms, drawing in a shaky breath at the torn and bloodied palms.

"Oh, Betty," he said softly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, staring at the floor. He ducked his head down, trying to catch her eyes but she had them shut.

"Betty, it's okay," he promised. "You're not in trouble or anything."

"How'd you know that's what I was afraid of?" Betty muttered and, thoughts on how Alice Cooper had hit her, he shrugged.

"Just a hunch, hon," he admitted softly. Then, he smiled gently. "Now, let me doctor those palms and then do you think you can try and get some more sleep?"

"I'm actually…," she trailed off.

"What?" Jughead asked curiously.

"Hungry," she muttered, look down once more in shame. Jughead frowned.

"There's nothing wrong with that, you know. Food is an every day requirement," he stated, and she blinked.

"You eat every day?" Betty asked in something akin to wonderment and he felt his hand twitch. How he would love to punch something. Forcing himself to remain calm, he nodded his head.

"Yes, Betty, most people do. It's what we're supposed to do in order to survive," he said to her. Surely she must know that? His eyes traced hers' as she thought that through before eventually nodding.

"Alright," she said in a soft voice.

"Can I get you something to eat after we clean your hands up?" Jughead matched her tone, and she nodded albeit hesitantly. "What would you like?"

"Can…can we order a pizza in?" Betty asked timidly and he smiled. Progress.

XXX

When they were through cleaning and bandaging her palms, Jughead stuck true to his word and ordered a large sausage pizza for them. She ate her side of it slowly, taking her time with it, and he wondered when the last time was that she got a good, proper meal. When all that was left was a slice, he offered it to her, but she politely declined, saying he could have it. Considering she had eaten half the pizza, he wasn't going to argue her on the matter and just ate the last slice before getting up and throwing away the trash. When he got back to her, he realized she had curled her legs underneath her and was resting her hand lightly on the ankle she had damaged the night they took her.

"How's it feeling?" Jughead asked, tilting his head towards her ankle.

"Hurts every now and then but nothing unmanageable," she replied, shrugging. It was as if she was indifferent to any pain brought to herself. Then again, she probably was.

"Let me see," he said and held his hand out for her ankle. He watched as she hesitantly put it in his hand, wondering if she'd ever stop being so timid, before stretching it onto his lap. He looked at it, noting with satisfaction that a lot of the swelling had gone down. "Well, we'll keep icing it but I think the worst of it's over."

Betty nodded her head and thanked him.

"You don't have to do that, you know," he said quietly, watching as her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Do what?" Betty questioned, and he smiled slightly.

"Thank me. For making sure you're alright. I'm not a monster," he murmured. He watched as Betty exhaled shakily, wondering what she was thinking. She spoke up a moment later.

"It's just…I don't know what you want from me. I mean, I get it, you kidnapped me to appeal to the Northside but why me, specifically? Don't you know they don't like me, either?" Betty asked.

Jughead sighed as he ran a hand through his unruly tresses. "Honestly? My dad knows you're not a fan favorite of both sides. That's why he had the Serpents take you. His issues with your mom stem from a place of hatred."

Betty looked confused and he couldn't say he blamed her. "Then, surely he should be taking this up with my mom?"

"He…thought she'd fight a bit harder to get you back by now," Jughead muttered with a grimace, wincing when Betty laughed dully.

"He clearly doesn't know her like I do. My mom doesn't look out for anyone but herself. Not even my dad," she mumbled. "Why would she start now with me?"

Jughead had the strong urge to hug her; to tell her that it wasn't her fault her mom couldn't see her for what she was worth. But he knew now was not the time to do it and he might not even be the person to do it. He wasn't sure if she even trusted him a minute amount yet. When she didn't say anything in response to that, he sighed, before looking at her.

"You don't have to be scared of me, alright?" Jughead asked softly.

"It's not you I'm scared of," she admitted quietly, and his thoughts strayed too Tall Boy.

"You don't have to be scared of anyone in the Serpents. My dad…_I'm _not going to let anyone hurt you, I swear," he vowed seriously. He watched as she thought over his words for a bit and let her take all the time she needed. Eventually she nodded.

"Alright," she whispered. "I trust you."

Those three words spoke more than any other thing she could have said and he knew he was going to be good for a long time to come.

**Author's note: Just a filler chapter on this one. Sorry if there are mistakes. I didn't proof read this time. **


	7. Chapter 7

Jughead watched as Betty slowly came out of her shell over the next week. He knew that while being their hostage, she was starting to trust them more. Well, he amended, she was starting to trust Jughead, Pea, and Toni more. The adult Serpents were still left alone, and he thought that mainly had to do with Tallboy. And, if he was being honest with himself, Jughead was still fucking livid with the way Tallboy was acting around Betty. Looking at her like he was a prize he had won instead of the girl he helped kidnapped.

Jughead sighed as he rubbed a weary hand over his face. He hated the fact that the Serpents had to resort to such low measures to get what they needed to; to know they actually abducted someone who was a nice as she could be to get leverage against her formidable mother left Jughead feeling unsettled and with an ache in his bones. He _hated _Alice Cooper, but he knew he hated himself more. Hated himself for playing a part in taking her daughter, who was nothing like her mother.

Just then, his bedroom door opened and Jughead looked up to spot Betty walking out of his room. He blinked. While they had been making progress with her trusting them more, (at least, the younger Serpents), he still was the one who had to encourage her to leave his room. If she was doing it willingly this time…well, that gave him hope. He watched as she made her way to him, taking note of the way Toni's clothes still seemed to swamp her frame.

"My eyes are up here, Jughead," Betty said, and was she_ teasing_ him? There was definitely a mischievous glint in her eyes, and he laughed.

"Sorry," he said, ducking his head to hide the red spreading across his cheeks. "But, to be fair, I was just taking in the fact that Toni's clothes still look like they're swallowing you. Which is saying something because Toni is _tiny_."

It was Betty's turn to blush and duck her head as she bit her lower lip.

"Oh, uhm, yeah. Well, you know," she mumbled, and he nodded. He did know. One of the nights during the past week they had stayed up later than normal and Betty had opened up a bit to him. He found out that Alice Cooper had always been extremely strict on what her daughter ate. He also learned that Betty had an older sister named Polly. An older sister who ran the first chance she could and never looked back. Jughead suspected that might be one of the reasons Alice was so trying on her daughter.

"Well, how about some breakfast? I don't know if I told you or not, but Pea makes a mean breakfast taco," he said, watching her. Betty looked up at him, smiling slightly.

"Is there salsa?" Betty asked, and Jughead rolled his eyes.

"'Is there salsa' she asks. Betty, of course there's salsa. Pea would be offended you even worried about that," he replied, grinning at her. Betty laughed and the sound warmed his heart; it was such a stark difference from her first week with them.

"Good. I'll take two, then," she replied, bumping her shoulder with his before walking into his kitchen where Sweet Pea and Toni already were. "Good morning."

His two friends and closest confidants looked up at the sound of her voice and smiled at her.

"Morning, Betty," Pea said, working on scrambling eggs; Toni sent her a greeting as well as Betty went and perched herself on the kitchen counter.

"Smells good, Pea," she said, and he flashed her another smile.

"Thanks, Betty. Wait til you taste them," he said.

"Yeah, gotta put some weight back on you, blondie," Toni teased, and Betty laughed.

"I don't quite think my mom would appreciate that, T," she replied.

"Fuck your mom," Jughead said simply, making his way into the kitchen and leaning against the counter opposite the one she was sitting on. Betty didn't say anything to that, but she did gift Jughead with one of her earth-shattering smiles, so he knew she wasn't mad. He could feel Toni's eyes on him, watching him curiously, but he didn't meet her gaze. He knew what she was after, regardless. She wanted him to admit that he was starting to develop feelings for Betty, despite what she and every other Serpent besides Pea had warned him against. Speaking of Pea, him and the taller Serpent shared a look and Jughead knew he was saying he agreed with him.

Betty laughed. "I'm sure Alice Cooper would love hearing that. I'm sure she'd slap me again if I said anything like that to her."

She was watching as Sweet Pea scrambled his eggs but the silence in the room had her looking up in time to spot all three members sharing an uneasy look with each other.

"Guys…," Betty sighed.

"We never did talk about that, Betty," Jughead said softly, and she shrugged.

"Nothing to talk about," she dismissed, but Toni shook her head.

"Betty, your mom slapped you. We all saw it happen that night. And, if I had to make an educated guess, I'd say it wasn't the first time it happened. It's okay to be upset by that," the petite girl said gently.

Betty looked down, fiddling with her fingers, and that wasn't going to work for Jughead. He made his way towards her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. It showed just how much she had changed in her couple of weeks with them when she didn't flinch from his touch. Instead, she looked up at him questioningly.

"Has it happened before?" Jughead asked softly.

"Once or twice," she muttered, and Jughead felt himself grow angry. Swallowing down his rage, he squeezed her shoulder.

"It's not your fault, you know," he said quietly, and she nodded.

"I know that," she said firmly, and he believed her in the way she held her shoulders back, head held high.

He nodded, smiling slightly.

"Good," he breathed, squeezing her shoulder.

Just then, Sweet Pea interrupted them by announcing the tacos were ready. Jughead nodded and let go of Betty's shoulder before tilting his head towards the food.

"Come on, Betts," he said, and she gifted him with another smile as she hopped off the counter and went to Sweet Pea, who plated her two tacos. After everyone was served, the group made their way to the table and sat down, eating and talking. Jughead found himself thinking he could get used to this for a long time to come. Looking up, he made eye contact with Toni and spotted a knowing look in her eyes. He shook his head in amusement, ignoring his friend in favor of just relishing in the fact that Betty seemed to at least trust them. That was good enough.

**Author's note: Just a short one. Enjoy. Xxx**


End file.
